Attachment-based retrospective classifications of parental caregiving in childhood related to psychological well-being and mental health in young adults

Abstract

Adverse interpersonal experiences in childhood have been shown to be associated with low psychological well-being and poor mental health in adulthood. In this study, the Parental Caregiving Style Questionnaire (PCS-Q) was used for the retrospective classification of parental caregiving, a measure distinguishing between warm/responsive, ambivalent/inconsistent and cold/rejecting parenting, analogous to the three-category model of attachment. Furthermore, self-esteem, satisfaction with the romantic relationship and life, depression and anxiety were measured with self-report scales. 197 students took part in this study, of whom 74 answered the PCS-Q a second time two months later. Most participants classified the parental caregiving style as warm/responsive, especially with regard to the mother. The PCS-Q showed a high test-retest reliability. Warm/responsive parenting was associated with higher self-esteem and life satisfaction and with lower depression and anxiety than the other two parenting styles. Satisfaction with the romantic relationship, however, did not differ substantially between the three groups. The findings largely support the assumption that early attachment experiences have an impact on later well-being and mental health. The German version of the PCS-Q presented here can be used in research and clinical practice as an economic measure with direct reference to the model of attachment styles.